Yes, they are hard; very hard. After 17 years they won't give you adequate traction in corners and will be prone to failure if you hit a sharp indentation in the road. Best to replace asap.How old is too old when it comes to tires? My xs1-b has tires that look brand new, but they are date stamped seventeen years old. There are no visible cracks ,but they seem hard.
I'd like to add that many times although the tires seem supple, the belts can de-laminate and at speed.......just trust me, I've had it happen. I won't ride or drive on a tire, at speed, if it's over 7 years old.How old is too old when it comes to tires? My xs1-b has tires that look brand new, but they are date stamped seventeen years old. There are no visible cracks ,but they seem hard.
Great idea.Picked up my bike in February, been working on it since, took my first test ride this past weekend. First phase of restore complete. Phase two involves tire replacement among other things. My current tires have tread that is like new, but they are date stamped 1978. They look so nice it's a shame to get rid of them, they'd be a great set for a bike going to a museum!
Yep, UV light and heat are big tire killers. The tires on my SG are about 10yrs old now... but I know how they were stored. And... I'm not much of a knee dragger anymore. I feel safe on 'em. I've bought a new front and will prolly get a new rear this year... but meantime I'll run these old ones. If I didn't know their history, I wouldn't even think about taking a chance on 'em.It’s not so much the date they were made, more how they were stored. UV light really does a number on rubber.
If they are hard, replace. It’s cheap insurance.
Years ago on one of my cars, I had Bridgestone run flat tires that needed replacement. Two tire shops were not able to remove the tires from the rims because: the thick sidewall of the tires + low profile + offset of my wheels. In the process of trying, they damaged one of my custom wheels . There’s little mystery to how run flat tires work. The side walls are about 1/2 thick rubber, reinforced with steel, so if the air escapes, you ride on the rubber side walls. I did as @Paul Sutton suggests and used a jig saw to cut the cap / tread from the sidewalls. I was able to use a metal cutting blade. I then freed the sidewalls from the rims and a combination of a zip wheel on my angle grinder and big bolt cutters for the beads and the tires were defeated. Should have kept pictures.The main problem I see with old tires is they can be very difficult to remove. I no longer fight with tires, instead I go straight for the Jigsaw!
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A jigsaw blade with teeth will not cut tires easily, just bounchs you and the saw about. I take an old metal cutting jigsaw blade and grind the teeth off to give a knife edge. I then punchure the tire wall about an inch from the tread edge with a 10mm drill bit, insert the jigsaw blade and cut around the tyre. This is a very quick operation, about 1 minute, and requires no lubricant for the blade. The tyre bead with approximately 1 - 2 inches of tire wall comes off first followed by the other bead with the majority of the tire. Amazing how easily they both drop off the rim.
Ahh. That's really helpful. When we picked up "Rusty" end of February she had "brand new" tires on her -- except they were brand new when she was parked, at least 10 years ago. I need to find the codes and see how old they really are. Last inspection sticker's 1992. So the "new" tires are 10+ years old, but shed kept, no windows, and inflated to less than 10 PSI. They're super soft and squishy. May replace them anyway. Looks odd to me. Too round a profile -- like there's too little surface area touching the ground. Will post stats for suggestions once I get the info off em.It’s not so much the date they were made, more how they were stored. UV light really does a number on rubber.
If they are hard, replace. It’s cheap insurance.
You will get varied opinions here regarding your tires.Edit: Oops! Just found the thread "Tire Recommendations? Daily Functionality, Vintage Look. 83 Heritage Special"
Cheng Shin tires (From another forum, "They contract manufacture tires for many brands. CST owns Maxxis and created it to be their premium brand."
Mfg in July of 06 if I'm reading this right? 19" front, 16" rear. Suggestions for replacements? No noticeable wear, feel pliable, stored at app 9 PSI, however. OLD. Insurance deductible worse option than cost of new tires.
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Any tire that old is toast. The chemical compounds will have deteriorated beyond their lifecycle for use. Change the sooner than later. I rode in old rubber half that age and ended up on my arse.How old is too old when it comes to tires? My xs1-b has tires that look brand new, but they are date stamped seventeen years old. There are no visible cracks ,but they seem hard.
Boy does that sound familiar.How old is too old when it comes to tires? My xs1-b has tires that look brand new, but they are date stamped seventeen years old. There are no visible cracks ,but they seem hard.
Tires cheep. Skulls expensive. For that matter, so are helmets.Yes, they are hard; very hard. After 17 years they won't give you adequate traction in corners and will be prone to failure if you hit a sharp indentation in the road. Best to replace asap.
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